"You won't get better from anyone's Italian grandmother" at chef-owner Alessandro Pirozzi's mini-chain, where "perfect", well-priced pastas, plus thin-crust pizzas, draw frequent (and, to some, "noisy") crowds; also suiting diners are the "warm" staff and rustic space, and while churls quibble with "waits" and parking "issues", it's generally on diners' "return list."
Homemade Italian fare in an upscale European bistro in Newport Shores.:
Cucina Alessa Restaurant Review: A “Welcome to Italy” sign should grace the doors over Cucina Alessá, an upscale yet rustic Italian bistro with intimate dining rooms and a small bar. Located right on Pacific Coast Highway in a north end neighborhood called Newport Shores, Alessá is a good place to hang out and enjoy some of OC's most authentic Italian fare. Chef and proprietor Alessandro...